Orange: Energy & Happiness
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day ninety-one: COLORS #4 Brittany is not shy about hugging. Artie, Rachel


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third and fourth cycle. Now here comes cycle 5!_

_Found this list I had a while back, of colors and connotations, and I decided to make a series around it! So...  
**Colors of Glee: 4 of 12:** Orange: Energy & Happiness_

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**"Orange: Energy & Happiness"  
Brittany (+Artie, Rachel)**

Her grandfather would say her heart extended into her arms and her hands. She'd never shy away from showing her emotions. If she felt joy bubbling up inside her heart, it would never stay hidden. Eventually, she'd have to let it out. There were usually two or three outlets. Sometimes, it would be a good high five. But if her heart was filled to the brim with happiness, it would flow out into her arms, and around someone she wanted to share that joy with.

She didn't assign merit of these high fives and hugs, though she knew to control herself where complete strangers were concerned. That wasn't always the case, though after being made to understand by her mother, her grandfather, she'd learned to limit her targets.

Though some around would have preferred for her to keep them in the no-touch zone, she let in the Glee Club.

It wasn't about Quinn's Finn-watch, or Coach Sylvester's cover operations, or it wasn't for very long. Inevitably they had touched to the part of her that held to kindness. She had become willing to consider them as friends, sharing in song and dance her own personal loves. She didn't have to feel as though she was different.

She'd formed bonds with the lot of them, unexpected little bursts of friendship. The first show of this had been when Kurt and Tina had extended an invitation for her to join them in putting together an homage to 'Single Ladies.' She was more than happy to do it and, overlooking the interruption by Kurt's father, it had been a turning point for her. She had fun.

Then there was Artie, who'd surprised her in how much she'd come to appreciate him. She'd only ever known him as 'that wheelchair kid' before; that was how everyone would refer to him, so she'd always just gone with it. But he'd gone and helped her, more than once. He'd seen her through a horrible confused mess of a Spanish composition; that was the first instance. And then there was the week they'd spent in wheelchairs… well, less so for her, after she'd lost hers.

She'd been waiting outside the auditorium, feeling small in knowing their wheelchair practice session was coming up and she'd have to sit it out… she wanted to spin.

And then, like a superhero, Artie had shown up, with her chair in tow by his own. She'd gasped with giddiness, moving to help him. He never told her where he'd found it, or maybe he did… she was too excited, she might not have heard. Soon they were all on stage, and the moment he'd shown them how to spin, she'd been the first to put it into practice.

She threw her arms in the air as soon as she would hit the spin, enjoying the moment while it lasted. When it'd be over, she'd grasp the chair again, move to launch herself once more. She only got a bit dizzy, but she was used to it… kind of loved it.

When practice had ended, she was reminded, as she saw Artie, that it had almost not happened… and she was just thankful that she'd had her shot. On her way out, she high fived Artie, giving her thanks with a smack of the hand.

It had been not too long after that day that she'd experienced one of the bigger flourishes of happiness since she'd joined Glee Club. The number had been a present, to Finn and Quinn, to show them they were right by their side through all the drama they were living at the moment. That was the intent, she knew that much. But then to her, and no doubt to the others as well, it had been an experience in getting closer. It helped her cross the final step in taking all of Glee Club into friendship; the final step was Rachel Berry.

She'd always been closer to Santana, to Quinn… they were Cheerios, like her. And the football players, they were not too far off. One by one she'd gotten to know and appreciate the others, Kurt, Tina, Artie, Mercedes… Rachel always felt to her as though she was surrounded by police tape – do not cross. She was not supposed to get close to her, that was the impression she got. Certainly, in the beginning of her time in Glee Club, Brittany had not seen reason to change her stance on Rachel Berry. There was all this drama with her too, and she would quit and rejoin faster than Brittany could count.

Maybe it was the vitamins, but all of a sudden, things had started to change, so subtle she never really realized it. But then the project had begun, for them to get together on 'Lean on me.' As they were ready, they waited on Mercedes and Kurt to return with Finn. Sitting in the back row, a couple of chairs over from Rachel, Brittany had looked at her. Rachel had looked back. She smiled at the girls across the 'do not cross.'

She was looking out for Brittany's friends – they all were. In her book, it made you as good of a friend as any other. And as far as she was concerned, that was plenty good enough.

In the rush of the performance, as her heart unfolded into her arms, it cut across the tape and embraced Rachel. She was one of them, no longer the 'them' that marked a separation, but the one that said they were a unit, no longer two camps split apart.

THE END


End file.
